Love Inspired Suspense September 2015 #2 (50 page)

He pulled back and looked her directly in the eyes. “I'm not throwing away my career. And your safety is more important.”

This man really cared about her. She wasn't used to such compassion. “You're not the same man you were when I met you a short time ago.”

He nodded. “You can say that again. Syd, you've made me start to question everything. My career, my goals, my beliefs. And in the best possible way.”

“Really?” She didn't know how to take that.

“Yes.”

“You seemed so set in your ways at the beginning,” she said. “What changed?”

“Knowing you. Seeing how you live. Your strength and courage. Your faith. I can't really describe it very well. In fact, I still have a long way to go. But you make me want to keep changing. To not be so cynical about life. There are so many thoughts bouncing around in my head.”

She was blown away by Max's characterization of how she had impacted his life. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure. I've asked you enough questions since we've known each other.”

“My past has been on display because of the situation with Rick. But I don't know anything about yours. Why aren't you with someone? You've got a wonderful career. You're smart, funny and handsome.”

He smiled. “Hey, now you're going to embarrass me.”

“I'm serious, though. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me that you're alone. Why don't you have someone special in your life?”

“Honestly, my job has been priority number one. And two and three and four. You get the picture. I've casually dated, but most women aren't happy about my erratic schedule, the long hours, the broken dates. I've been a pretty absent boyfriend. And women don't like that very much. But I really didn't care enough about investing myself in a relationship to really push the issue. Also, we've talked about the way I was raised. Showing emotion and trusting in someone else is not something I do easily—or really at all.”

She had just opened her mouth to respond when a car came barreling down the street headed straight at them.

ELEVEN

M
ax didn't hesitate as he lunged toward Sydney, pushing her hard and far out of the way of the oncoming gray SUV. He covered her body with his as he heard gunshots.

God, please help us right now.
More gunshots rang out in rapid succession. When he felt a bullet slice through his skin, he was just thankful it was him and not Sydney who'd been hit.

He felt her shaking underneath him as the squeal of the tires indicated the SUV was driving away quickly.

“You're bleeding!” she gasped. Her eyes were wide with fear, and she gripped him tightly.

“It's just a graze.” At least that's what he hoped. “Are you okay?”

“Yes. Thanks to you.”

As he lifted himself off her a burning pain shot through his left arm. “We need to get back to the house.”

“You're losing a lot of blood. Can you walk?” she asked.

“Yes.” He grimaced.

She grabbed on to him. “Here, lean on me.”

He put his right arm around her, more to convince himself she was unharmed than for the support.

He scanned the street as they walked quickly back to the house. He didn't think the truck would return, but he couldn't, wouldn't, take a chance.

“I guess we know who was behind that,” she said.

“Yeah. I don't know if Rick Ward was the one taking the shots, but I'm certain he was the one calling them.”

By the time they entered the house, his arm was burning as if it was on fire and his breathing was becoming labored.

“I've got to make sure the bleeding is stopped,” she said, helping him to the couch. “Are you able to remove your dress shirt?”

“I'll try.” With each movement the pain got worse. He tried to stay focused.

She pulled the sleeve off his arm. It had become stuck because of the blood. His T-shirt was also covered in blood.

She gasped when she saw the wound. “This looks bad, Max.”

“I thought it was just a knick.”

“That's the biggest and bloodiest knick I've ever seen.”

“The bullet didn't go into me, though.” He pressed down hard on the wound with his already destroyed dress shirt.

“I think you need to go to the hospital and have this checked out.”

Gingerly, he pulled his phone out of the hip holster. “Tom,” he said. “I need medical attention at the safe house. Can you send someone?”

“What's going on?”

He filled Tom in on the shooting and his injury. “We're having a hard time stopping the bleeding. I might need some help to get it stopped and stitched up.”

“I'll bring someone now and then move you to another location. I knew there was too much in and out at that safe house. They probably followed Elena or one of my people at some point.”

“Thanks, Tom. I know you don't have to do this.”

“Max, I promised you a safe house for a week, and I'm staying true to that. Just hang tight.”

“See you soon.” He hung up the phone and looked at Sydney who was walking back into the room with a wet towel to clean him up.

“What did he say?”

“He's on his way and bringing medical help. Then he's going to get us to a new house. It's not safe here any longer.”

She gently touched the wet towel to his wound. He tried not to flinch. Thankfully, he had been hit in his left arm. He could shoot with both hands, but he was a much better shot right handed.

“I'm sorry,” she said.

“No, you're doing the right thing. If anything, you need to get a fresh dry towel to apply more pressure to help stop the bleeding.”

“I don't want to hurt you.”

He grinned. “I can handle it.”

When she swapped out the towel and pushed down hard on his arm, he thought he might pass out from the pain. But he had to stay strong for her. “Talk to me to keep my mind off it.”

“How do you think they found us in this neighborhood?”

“Tom thinks we had too many people coming and going over past couple of days. He and Elena could've been followed even, if not to the house, to the neighborhood in general. I know they were being careful, but professional tails can be very difficult to detect.”

“It all happened so fast. One moment we were having this nice conversation, and the next I saw the SUV coming toward us. I knew right then and there that Rick was coming for me again.” He detected a slight tremor in her voice and knew she was trying hard to hold it together. “How did you react so quickly?”

“I think it was just instinct. I wanted to protect you. And in that moment, Syd, I prayed. I prayed hard for God to protect us both.”

“And He certainly did.” She looked at Max then and took his right hand in hers. Her touch was warm, comforting. “Don't worry about me. I'm fine. I'm more worried about you and your injury. You've lost a bit of blood. I'm thankful that it wasn't worse, though.”

The door slammed shut and Tom and another guy who looked like an FBI medic came into the room.

“How're you doing?” Tom asked.

“It hurts like crazy,” Max told him. “But at least the bleeding is under control somewhat.”

Tom introduced the medic he'd brought. “This is Simon Lang. He'll take a look at you.”

The medic reached into his bag. “I'll give you something for the pain, but it's going to take a few minutes to kick in. So it may hurt for a bit as I examine you.”

Simon was right. Once he started stitching, Max succumbed to the pain. He closed his eyes and passed out.

* * *

Sydney looked down at Max lying in the bed at the new safe house. The FBI medic had given him something stronger after he and Tom had helped transport them to the new safe house. Tom was still downstairs waiting for Max to wake up.

Sydney squeezed Max's hand. She hoped that he could feel, even if only subconsciously, that she was beside him—supporting him in whatever way he needed.

When he had told her about what happened before the accident and how he'd prayed, she had felt blessed. “Lord, You really do work in mysterious ways,” she whispered.

She was more convinced than ever of God's hand in this entire journey, as they once again had come out of a perilous experience alive. Even through the evil and danger coming at her from Rick and East River, she had peace, because she believed that all things worked together for good as long as you had faith in God.

While she had hoped she would never see Rick again, she was assured by her faith that God had a plan.

“Hey.”

She looked down at Max and saw his eyes opening slowly. “Hey.”

“What in the world happened?”

“You passed out from the pain before the pain meds really kicked in. Then the medic gave you another injection once we were transported here.”

“So we're in the new safe house?”

“Yes.”

“Alone?”

“No. Tom is waiting downstairs. He said he didn't want to leave while you were still knocked out.”

“He's really been great through this whole thing.”

She concurred. “Did you work with him much while you were at the FBI?”

“Only about six months, but he and Brian actually worked together on a special team years ago and then again more recently.” He shook his head. “I need to get up. And since we're talking about Brian, I assume Tom didn't give you any further updates.”

“No. Just that he's still in the hospital. No change in his condition. Still critical.”

Max sat up and slowly slid his legs off the bed.

“Are you sure you shouldn't stay in bed for a bit longer?”

“No. I want to talk to Tom.”

“Let me help you downstairs.”

“You seem to be helping me a lot lately, Syd. It's supposed to be the other way around.”

“We're a team, remember?”

He smiled. “Yes, I remember.” He paused. “Let's go.”

She helped him down the stairs about halfway until Tom heard them and came and took over.

“You should be resting, Max,” Tom said.

“You've been here long enough. I didn't want to keep you later tonight than you had to be.” He sat on the sofa. “Any updates on Brian?”

“He's critical but stable,” Tom said as he sat across from him. “He's in an induced coma to try to help the swelling on the brain go down. We'll have to see how that goes.”

Sydney saw the concern on Max's face for his friend. “Why can't Rick and Davies be prosecuted for what they did to Brian?” she asked.

“We're working on it, but right now the evidence is sparse, and without Brian's testimony we don't really know what to look for,” Tom said.

“But you won't give up on that, right?” Sydney needed to keep up hope.

“Of course not, Sydney. Brian's one of my own men. I want this to stick as much as anyone.”

“Thanks,” she said.

“I did hear that there were protests outside the courthouse after the verdict was read. For whatever that's worth to you. I know you wanted a different result.”

She nodded. “I could've done more. I should've done more.”

“From where I sit, you did everything in your power as an expert witness.”

She didn't believe it, but it was nice of him to say. “Thanks, Tom.”

“So the way I see it, there are multiple angles here that we're working against Rick Ward and Phil Davies and trying to connect the two of them. We have the attack on Brian, the shooting today.”

“And no concrete evidence yet tying them to either,” Max said.

“We'll get it. The Marshals still want to go by the book in investigating one of their own, so they are being cautious in their approach.”

“I don't like it,” Max said. “But I understand the mentality about not wanting to go too aggressive on one of your own people in case you're wrong. But everyone knows at this point that Ward is bad news.

Hearing that, Sydney couldn't remain quiet. “I don't like just waiting around like a sitting duck. We can't run forever. What happened today only proves that,” she said. “Max, I know you don't want to hear this, but we need to consider my idea.”

“What's your idea?” Tom asked.

“Using me as bait to capture Rick. And hopefully Davies, too, for that matter.”

Tom whistled. “That's dangerous business, Sydney.”

She looked into his eyes. “And what happened today wasn't dangerous? Max was shot. We could've been killed. I know Rick better than most. He won't stop until he gets his revenge. Now that he's had a taste of it, he will keep going until he's tracked me down. Even if it's not today or tomorrow or even next week. It could be next year, but he'll find me. The only way for me to be safe is for him to be in prison.”

“I take it, Max, that you're against this idea?” Tom asked.

“I am against it, but I also hear what Sydney's saying. If we could do it in a way to minimize the risk to her...”

“Let me give it some thought,” Tom said. “I know I'm an old geezer, but I understand how these guys operate. Been doing this for almost forty years.”

“Sleep on it, Tom. It's getting late. We'll regroup tomorrow.”

“Will do. Are you sure you're okay here alone with Sydney?”

“Yes. My shooting arm is still good. And I think we'll be fine here, at least for the night, anyway.”

“I'll come by in the morning and check in.” Tom walked out the front door, leaving them alone.

“You should get back in bed and rest,” Sydney told Max. “I'll fix something for you to eat. There's plenty of food in the house.”

“I'm wide-awake now. The pain medication has worn off.” He grimaced as he moved his left arm.

“That's why you should rest. Lie down and I'll bring you something to eat in a few minutes. You need food to get your full strength back.”

“I promise you I'm fine. I'm capable of sitting down and eating at the table.”

She started to protest, but he held up his hand.

“I'll go back and get in bed after I've eaten. Is that a fair deal?”

“Yes.” She got to work fixing soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. It wasn't until she'd smelled it that she realized she hadn't eaten, either. Her stomach rumbled.

Max's phone rang then, and he picked it up. She could only hear his side of the conversation.

“He's awake?” Max asked.

After some silence and a few words, he hung up.

“Brian?” she asked.

“Yes. The good news is that he's awake. The bad news is that he's suffered some memory loss. The doctors don't know if it will be temporary or permanent. It's common for bad concussions, so we'll have to wait and see. He can't remember anything related to that meeting with Ward.”

“Maybe it will come back to him with time.” She placed the food on the table. “But I just thank God that he's alive. That's more important than anything else at this point.”

He reached out and squeezed her hand. “We're going to get him, Syd. I promise you that. In his quest for revenge, he's being too bold. He'll get sloppy and do something careless.”

“I still think we need to talk about my idea.”

He took a bite of his sandwich. “I'm listening. How exactly do you propose to use yourself as bait?”

She bit her bottom lip. “Well, that's the thing. I haven't come up with an airtight plan yet. But if I draw him out so that he can be arrested for the assault against me, I'm sure a case can be built against him for his other crimes with enough time to do a thorough investigation. Right now he's gone dark. I'm the best way to get him to reemerge from hiding.”

Max frowned. “I see. And how exactly is that going to work without putting you at risk?”

“We'd allow him to get close to me. But the team would be in place to apprehend him before he was able to do any harm to me.”

“Do you realize how many things could go wrong in that plan?” He finished off the last bite of his grilled cheese and leaned forward.